West Ham will tackle Fiorentina in the second final of the UEFA Conference League.
With the Hammers seeking to put a disappointing Premier League season behind them and their Italians seeking to back Roma up as Serie A winners in the third-tier tournament.
The encounter takes place on June 7 at Prague’s Fortuna Arena and promises to be a memorable affair.
Much of the season has been a struggle for David Moyes’ West Ham side, but all that will be forgotten if they can claim a first European trophy in nearly 60 years. The Scottish manager had only just turned two when the London side picked up the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup in 1965 having emerged victorious over 1860 Munich.
West Ham needed just nine games to lift the trophy. Their journey this time around started in mid-August with a 6-1 playoff success over Viborg. They have already played 14 times since, winning 13 of those matches, which have seen them travel as far as Bucharest and Larnaca.
In what has been a slow-burn of a season for Moyes’ side, whose form picked up just as it seemed that relegation was becoming a possibility, they have been consistently excellent in Europe. Michail Antonio, in particular, has caught the eye with six goals, while the £100 million man-to-be Declan Rice is the player Fiorentina will feel needs to be stopped.
🟣 Fiorentina's 🔝 scorers this season…
Who's impressed most? pic.twitter.com/HikD2MEVVM
— UEFA Europa Conference League (@europacnfleague) May 29, 2023
Fiorentina have been the most spectacular team in the Conference League, though not until after an alarming start to the competition that saw them draw with Latvian whipping boys RFS and lose heavily away against Istanbul Basaksehir.
Knockout football has suited the Viola this season, a fact proven by the 22 goals they have scored in their eight post-Christmas fixtures in the tournament. Unsurprisingly, they have the competition’s joint-leading scorer in the form of Arthur Cabral on seven goals, while they also boast the two leading assist makers in the form of Christian Kouame and Cristiano Biraghi on five.
Fiorentina’s love of cup football is underscored by their run to the Coppa Italia final, in which they were edged 2-1 by Inter. Head coach Vincenzo Italiano will seek to seek to use the hurt they suffered on that occasion as fuel to aid their quest for the Conference League trophy.
| Rank | Player | Team | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
|
1= |
Arthur Cabral |
Fiorentina |
7 |
|
1= |
Zeki Amdouni |
FC Basel |
7 |
|
3= |
Michail Antonio |
West Ham |
6 |
|
3= |
Luka Jovic |
Fiorentina |
6 |
|
3= |
Hugo Cuypers |
Gent |
6 |
|
6= |
9 players |
5 |
Both clubs have been gearing up for this final for the best part of three weeks, and that should mean that both approach it in peak condition.
This is a rare opportunity for both teams to grab the continental spotlight, and while this might be expected to lead to a tight encounter decided by an error, on this occasion it is likelier that it allows both teams to express their attacking strengths more readily.
West Ham look the stronger of the two side on paper, with the Premier League club finishing the season in confident form. Moreover, their record of 13 wins in 14 underscoring how comfortable they have looked on the continent. This is reflected in their marginal favouritism with the bookmakers.
Fiorentina, who have been masters of the cup competition this season, should not be discounted, but they look weaker defensively than their rivals and are likely to come out second best in a game that is likely to produce goals and entertainment. Odds of 2.2 on Over 2.5 goals look a very tempting bet indeed.
